Thursday, June 30, 2011

THE STORY: Niko Vasquez (above) hit two home runs, including an eighth-inning grand slam, to lead the Cardinals to a 9-3 win and draw them even with the Marauders for first place in the FSL South Division.

Cardinals' pitcher Carlos Martinez, 19, went six innings to earn the win in his FSL debut. Ranked the St. Louis Cardinals' third-best prospect by Baseball America, Martinez went six innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out seven, walked four and hit two batters.

Jarek Cunningham homered, his team-best 14th, and Carlos Paulino and Bengie Gonzalez also drove in runs for Bradenton.

THE RECORD: The Marauders are 6-2 in the second half and 36-42 overall.

THE STAR OF THE GAME: Vasquez is an easy pick. The 22-year-old third baseman was taken by the Cardinals during the third round of the 2008 draft, and began the day batting .212 in 27 games with Palm Beach. He now has four home runs and 14 RBIs on the season.

The Marauders trail the Palm Beach Cardinals 4-3 heading into the bottom of the 7th at McKechnie Field.Bradenton scored twice in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Carlos Paulino and an RBI groundout by Bengie Gonzalez.Jarek Cunningham just blasted a home run off the scoredboard in left center, giving him the team lead with 14.

Palm Beach phenom Carlos Martinez has blanked the Marauders through four innings, and the Cardinals lead 3-0.

Martinez, 19, is ranked as the St. Louis Cardinals' third-best prospect by Baseball America and is making is high Single-A debut tonight. Despite loading the bases in first, Martinez has been good, allowing two hits, walking two and striking out five.

Strikeouts are Martinez's thing - he entered Thursday with 128 strikeouts in 97 2/3 professional innings, which averages out to 11.8 K's every nine innings.

The surging Marauders will be facing one of the St. Louis Cardinals' brightest prospects tonight when Carlos Martinez makes his high Single-A debut for the Palm Beach Cardinals 7 p.m. at McKechnie Field.

The 19-year-old Martinez has been ranked as the Cardinals' third-best prospect by Baseball America. The Cardinals signed Martinez, who hails from the Dominican Republic, as an undrafted free agent in April 2010.

He went 3-2 in 12 starts last season in the Dominican Summer League and Carolina League, but posted a 0.76 ERA, limited opposing hitters to a .144 batting average and struck out 78 in 59 innings.

Martinez began this season with the Cardinals' low Single-A affiliate in Quad Cities, going 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA in eight starts. Oppposing batters hit .196 againt Martinez, and struck out 50 in 38 2/3 innings.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Five former Bradenton Marauders are headed to the Eastern League All-Star Game as members of the Double-A Altoona Curve.

The selections were announced today and the game will be played Wednesday, July 13 at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, N.H.

Here is a closer look at each of the players:

JEREMY FARRELL, 3B: Farrell, whose dad, John, manages the Toronto Blue Jays, is second on the team in RBIs (33) and third in hits (72), and is batting .285 with the Curve. The 24-year-old Farrell, who was an eighth-round pick by the Pirates in 2008, hit .298 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs with Bradenton last year despite appearing in just 75 games because of injuries.

BROCK HOLT, 2B: Holt is another guy whose Marauders career was cut short by an injury last year after he tore a ligament in his knee. Holt has responded well this season, however, hitting .289 with 22 RBIs and 12 steals. His 85 hits are second on the team and fifth in the league. Holt hit .351 in 47 games last season with Bradenton.

STARLING MARTE, OF: Baseball America lists Marte as the Pirates' fourth-best prospect, and he has lived up to the billing this season with the Curve, batting .337 with a league-high 97 hits and a team-high 16 steals. The 22-year-old Marte will play for the World Team during next month's Futures Game, and he is a career .305 hitter in 305 games in the Pirates' organization. He hit .315 with 33 RBIs in Bradenton last season despite appearing in just 60 games after undergoing hand surgery.

JEFF LOCKE, P: Locke was promoted to Altoona late last season and helped the Curve win the league title. He is 5-6 this year with a 4.29 ERA in 15 starts, and leads the team in strikeouts (75) and innings (77 2/3). Locke was 12-5 with a 3.56 ERA in 27 starts with Bradenton and Altoona in 2010.

AARON PRIBANIC, P: Pribanic has thrown Altoona's lone shutout and complete game this season and is 5-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 15 games and 14 starts. Hitters have had to earn their way on against Pribanic, who has walked just nine in 76 2/3 innings, which amounts to 1.1 walks in every nine innings, tops among Eastern League pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings. Pribanic went 7-6 and pitched to a 3.33 ERA in 27 starts last year with the Marauders, and beat the Charlotte Stone Crabs during Game 1 of last year's Florida State League South Division Championship Series. It was the first postseason game in Bradenton's brief history.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

THE STORY: The Marauders scored five times in the fourth and cruised past the St. Lucie Mets 8-1 on Tuesday in front of 804 fans at McKechnie Field. Carlos Paulino and Jarek Cunningham drove in two runs each, and Paulino doubled twice.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez, rehabbing a quad injury, went 1-for-2 with a run scored in five innings.

THE RECORD: Bradenton is 5-1 in the second half of the FSL season and 35-41 overall.

THE STAR OF THE GAME: Bradenton starting pitcher Brett Lorin (above). The tallest pitcher in the team's brief history - 6-foot-7 - Lorin limited the Mets to a run on four hits in six innings. He struck out five and didn't issue a walk, improving his record to 3-4 and lowering his ERA to 2.76. Lorin has appeared in 15 games for Bradenton, and Tuesday marked his 10th start.

The Marauders are continuing their surge here at McKechnie Field, where they lead the St. Lucie Mets 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth.The sky has cleared and the weather is cool and comfortable, and the fans here witnessed the Marauders score five times in the fourth.Carlos Paulino stroked a two-run double, while Kelson Brown, Evan Chambers and Robbie Grossman also drove in runs.Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez, working his way back from a right quad injury, is 1-for-2 with a run scored. He als also assisted on four putouts.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

The Marauders swept the visiting Fort Myers Miracle three different ways. The first game of the series required 14 innings, the second victory for the Marauders was an offensive explosion and Saturday night the Marauders scratched out a 7-5 back and forth affair. Tonight's Player of the Game is Aaron Baker. Baker went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI's. Tonight's winning pitcher is Porfirio Lopez and Jason Erickson got the save in two very efficient innings pitched. The win keeps the Marauders on top of the Florida State Southern League in the second half of the season. The Marauders are next in action Sunday afternoon as they look to continue their six game winning streak against St. Lucie.

Aaron Hicks knotted the game up in the seventh at 5 after he singled, scoring James Beresford. However, the Marauders responded yet again in the bottom of the seventh. Robbie Grossman led the attack with a leadoff double off the pepsi sign in leftcenter field. Ramon Cabrera hit a triple that scored Grossman and Aaron Baker hit a sacrifice fly to score Cabrera. Going into the eighth the Marauders call on Jason Erickson to preserve a 7-5 lead.

The Miracle came storming back in the top of the fourth. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases for Reggie Williams. After facing an 0-2 count, Williams worked the count even and eventually ripped a ball down the first base line that kicked up off the base and into right field. Jamaal Hawkins followed with another double that scored Williams. In the frame, the Miracle had erased thier 3-0 deficit and gave themselves a one run lead at 4-3. In the bottom of the fourth Kane Holbrooks replaced Slowey for the Miracle and quickly retired the Marauders in order. Porfirio Lopez came in relief of Eliecer Navarro to start the fifth and retired the top three hitters of the Miracle lineup. However the Marauders were not down long as they regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth after Aaron Baker recorded his second single and second RBI of the game. The sixth inning was quiet and heading to the seventh the Marauders are clinging to a 5-4 lead.

After Eliecer Navarro retired the Miralce hitters in order, the Marauders drew first blood early for the second consecutive night. Aaron Baker and Calvin Anderson both hit RBI singles to give the Marauders a 2-0 lead. Eliecer Navarro has kept the Miracle batters off balance by changing speeds effectively. After three inning of work he has recorded four strikeouts and has only yielded one hit which was a texas leaguer that barely made it over Kelson Brown's head at second base. At the moment he is outdueling Kevin Slowey, who is an MLB pitcher making a rehab start for the Miracle. The Marauders have scored three runs on Slowey. Adalberto Santos has set the table for the meat of the lineup by reaching base with a single and a double in his first two at bats. Ramon Cabrera hit in his first RBI in the bottom of the third to increase the Marauder lead to 3-0 after three complete innings.

(piratesprospects.com) A former Marauder is heading to Pittsburgh.Catcher Eric Fryer, who spent all of last summer in Bradenton with the high Single-A Marauders, has been called up to the Pirates and will be in uniform for tonight's game against the Boston Red Sox.He becomes the first Marauder to make the majors with the Pirates. Pitcher Nathan Adcock, a Marauder last summer, was taken by the Kansas City Royals in the Rule 5 draft and made this year's Opening Day roster.A catcher, Fryer hit .300 and threw out 37 percent of runners trying to steal in 83 games last season with Bradenton despite missing part of the season after taking a foul ball off his face while trying to bunt.He began this year with Double-A Altoona, where he hit .345 with 16 RBIs in 37 games before a bump to Triple-A Indianapolis.Fryer was hitting .262 with the Indians before getting the call from the Pirates.The 25-year-old Fryer was a 10th-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2007. He was traded from the New York Yankees to the Pirates during a deal in the summer of '09 that sent Eric Hinske to New York.

The Marauders have taken the first two games to begin the second half of the season versus the Fort Myers Miracle. Tonight the Marauders try to complete the sweep of the Miracle and add to their current 5 game winning streak. The Marauders send Eliecer Navarro to the mound to take on opposing pitcher Kevin Slowey. Here are today's starting lineups:

Friday, June 24, 2011

1,288 fans attended wrestling night and witnessed a five run offensive explosion in the bottom of the first inning for the Marauders. Evan Chambers and Carlos Paulino hit back to back home runs in the inning. For the game, Chambers went three for four with a home run and a pair of doubles. Despite two errors for each team and numerous walks the Marauder bats propelled 10 extra base hits that assisted in a winning effort. The team recorded 10 extra base hits. After scoring at least a run in the first four frames they comfortably cruised to a 16-5 victory Friday night. Adalberto Santos went three for four at the plate and was only a home run shy of the cycle. Brian Leach records the win after 5 2/3 solid innings pitched.

Marauders starting pitcher Brian Leach, who usually is seen in a relieving role, was finally pulled after posting a very respectable line. Leach threw 5 2/3 innings while allowing four runs, three of which were earned. One of Leach's earned runs was a runner that Tyler Cox failed to inherit. Leach only walked one hitter and struck out four. Tyler Cox now replaces Leach on the mound for the Marauders with the Marauders leading 11-4. The Miracle added one more to their total as Aaron Hicks hit his second double of the night. Also for the Miracle, Shooter Hunt has replaced Andrew Albers as the new pitcher in the bottom of the seventh. Hunt had a lot of trouble finding the plate as he walked the first three batters he faced. This trend continued throughout the 2/3 of an inning he pitched. Hunt, the former first round selection, walked six out of ten batters faced. In the process he recorded 2 outs and gave up 5 earned runs. Steve Liddle came in and only needed one pitch to finish the frame. However the damage has been done and going into the eighth the Marauders lead 16-5.

A drizzle has set in that has sent many fans headed for cover. However the players keep playing on. In the top of the fourth, a 2008 first round draft pick, Aaron Hicks doubled and later scored on a double by his teammate Reggie Williams. The rain did not cool the hot Marauder bats either. The Marauders answered in the bottom of the fourth with two runs of their own. Great hussle by Elevys Gonzalez paid dividends as he scored on a double by Evan Chambers after he beat out a ground ball to the first baseman. No runs were scored in the fifth as the Marauders hold a commanding 11-2 lead after five complete innings.

Brian Leach retired the first 7 batters of the game and the Marauders continued their offensive assault with three runs in the second inning. Adalberto Santos hit his second extra base hit in as many at bats. Robbie Grossman has also started the game 2 for 2. In the third the Miracle scratched across a run after a fielding error and past ball allowed a runner to get into scoring position. James Beresford singled in the first run for the Miracle. The bottom half of the third was eventful as Miracle starting pitcher Ricky Bowen was tossed from the game after hitting two batters and throwing several wild pitches, one of which, was behind Elevys Gonzalez. Replacing Bowen is lefty Andrew Albers. Bowen leaves the game with the score of 9-1 and he is still responsible for runners on first and third base. However, Albers inherits the runners and the Marauder lead remains 9-1 after three complete innings of play

The Marauders came out ready to play. Brian Leach retired the Miracle in order in the first. In the bottom half of the inning the Marauders smoked 4 extra base hits capped off by back to back home runs by Evan Chambers and Carlos Paulino. After one full inning the Marauders lead 5-0

Its Florida Championship Wrestling night here at Mckechnie Field. The fans are buzzing as the Marauders host the Fort Myers Miracle. The Marauders opened up the second half of their season with a 6-5 14 inning victory last night versus this Fort Myers Miracle team. Today Brian Leach toes the rubber for the Marauders. The opposing pitcher for the Miracle is Ricky Bowen. The Marauders will look to grab another win to start the defense of their second half championship from last year. Today's starting lineups look like this:

(post-gazette.com) Former Marauders outfielder Starling Marte will play for the World Team during this year's XM All-Star Futures Game in Phoenix.Marte is now with the Pittsburgh Pirates' Double-A affiliate in Altoona.Despite missing time with a wrist injury last year, Marte batted .315 with 33 RBIs, 22 steals and 70 hits in 60 games with the Marauders.He hasn't slowed with the Curve. In 68 games, Marte is hitting .338 with four home runs, 24 RBIs, 15 steals, four triples and 17 doubles.The 22-year-old Marte is a career .305 hitter in 300 games in the Pirates organization, and is considered the team's fourth-best prospect by Baseball America.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Marauders held on to beat Jupiter 5-4 on Wednesday at McKechnie Field, capping the Florida State League's first half with a three-game sweep and a 30-40 record.(Here is the boxscore).The Marauders begin the second half Thursday night in Fort Myers against the Miracle. Bradenton won the second half last season to earn a trip to the FSL playoffs.

It's hot and steamy and sticky here at McKechnie Field.But the Bradenton Marauders are giving the fans, especially the roughly 1,000 camp kids, something to cheer for. They lead the Jupiter Hammerheads 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth, scoring all their runs off Jupiter pitcher Brad Hand, who began the season with the Florida Marlins.In fact, Hand pitched against the Tampa Bay Rays during the Marlins' trip to the Trop over the weekend before being sent down.Aaron Baker, Jarek Cunningam, Elevys Gonzalez and Evan Chambers have all drawn in runs for the Marauders. Pitcher Brett Sinkbeil, who pitches in the majors with the Marlins last season, has limited the Hammerheards to two hits and a run over six innings.

Hey folks!This is John Lembo coming to you from a sweltering McKechnie Field, which will soon be packed with 1,300 camp kids taking in the Bradenton Marauders' morning affair with the Jupiter Hammerheads.First pitch is set for 10 a.m.Today marks the final day of the first half in the Florida State League, and the Marauders (29-40) are trying to cap the half with a three-game winning streak before starting from scratch Thursday night in Fort Myers.Here are the lineups. The Hammerheads, by the way, are an affiliate of the Florida Marlins.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Cabrera's Grand Slam Lifts the Marauders to a 10-4 VictoryRight handed pitcher Matt Montgomery took the mound for the Jupiter Hammerheads as he tried to defend his Florida State League Pitcher of the week title. Last week Montgomery hurled a complete game shutout versus the Fort Myers Miracle. However he would not have the same luck against the Marauders in Tuesday Night's matchup.

After a scoreless first inning, Jeremy Synan hit a solo home run to rightcenter to open the scoring in the top of the second and give the Hammerheads a 1-0 lead. In the Marauders half of the inning, Elevys Gonzalez smashed a triple to right center that scored Evan Chambers. Chambers had singled earlier in the inning.

The Marauders pitcher Nate Baker kept the Hammerhead bats stuck at one until the Marauders busted the game open in the bottom of the fourth. Evan Chambers led of the inning with a home run. After Elevys Gonzalez singled, David Rubenstein hit a towering home run over the scoreboard in leftfield. Hammerheads starter Matt Montgomery was clearly rattled as he walked the next three batters. The Hammerheads elected to take the ball from Montgomery and bring Jose Rosario in to stop the bleeding. However, Ramon Cabrera had other ideas, he smoked a grand slam over the rightcenter field wall, making the score 8-1 in favor of the Marauders.

After Nate Baker came out of the game with an apparent hand injury, the Marauder bullpen put the game into cruise control. They kept the Hammerheads off the board until the eighth inning where the game was out of reach at 10-1. Combined Bradenton's relievers Tyler Cox, Eliecer Navarro and Zach Foster gave up three runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. The Marauders took Wednesday night's game with a final of 10-4.

The Marauders (29-40) are next in action Wednesday morning at 10 am in Bradenton as they attempt to complete a three game sweep versus the Jupiter Hammerheads(32-37).

Top of the sixth for the Hammerheads:Synan strikes out looking at a fastball on the outside corner

Ortiz flies out to the center fielder

Torres flies out to the centerfielder in the left

0 runs 0 hits 0 errors 0 left on baseMarauders lead 8-1

Bottom of the Sixth for the Marauders:PITCHING CHANGE: Graham Johnson replaces Jose Rosario before the inning starts

Grossman pops up to the third baseman just inside foul territory

Cunningham walks

Cabrera singles sharply to right field, Cunningham to second

Baker hits a line drive over the second basemans head, runners advance one base

Anderson grounds out softly to the second baseman, Cunningham scores

Chambers gets a hit on a ground ball to the third baseman, the third baseman did not realize that there was no force out at third base, he stepped on third but did not tag runner trying to advance, Baker to third

Jupiter Hammerheads (32-36) vs. Bradenton Marauders (28-40)Starting pitcher for the Hammerheads, Matt Montgomery, threw a complete game shutout in his last outing which earned him Florida State League Pitcher of the Week honors. The Hammerheads are paced in the lineup by leftfielder Kyle Jensen. So far this season he is hitting .326 and has amassed 13 home runs.

For the Marauders Aaron Baker has been a steadfast part of the lineup. He is hitting .277 and has 8 home runs. He also has produced with runners in scoring position as he leads the Marauders with 47 RBI's. Starting Pitcher Nate Baker has the second most inninngs pitched on the team with 64 2/3. He was a 5th round pick in 2009.

Welcome to the Bradenton Herald's newest sports blog, which, as you can probably tell, is dedicated solely to the Bradenton Marauders.Head here for all your Marauders news, from lineups to roster moves to injury updates and more, coming to you live from games at McKechnie Field.And of course, check out our full-length stories at bradenton.com.